מַשׁ
𐤌𐤔
Mash
H4851 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating an individual named Mash, identified as a descendant of Aram in Genesis 10:23 and 1 Chronicles 1:17, and by extension referring to the group or people associated with his lineage. Usage as a nomen gentilicium denotes a people group from Aram's line, but further details about their geographical location or historical identity remain uncertain due to limited references.
Semantic Range
proper name for an individual (Mash); proper name for a descendant people group; possible ethnonym with uncertain geographic identity
Root / Etymology
Foreign derivation; root uncertain. The form מַשׁ (Mash) does not correspond to a known Hebrew root, and its phonetic structure suggests a borrowing or a name preserved from non-Hebrew origins, reflecting a tradition about an ancient people group stemming from Aramean ancestry.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Mash appears only in the genealogies of Genesis 10:23 and 1 Chronicles 1:17 as a son of Aram, listing him among other progenitors of Aramean and neighboring groups. Little is known of the people of Mash; comparisons have been made to the Meshech and other ancient Near Eastern names, though linguistic evidence is inconclusive. The parallel passage in Genesis 10:23 equates Mash with Meshech in some ancient translations (e.g., the Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint), though these may reflect interpretive tradition rather than direct equivalence. Later Jewish interpretive tradition sometimes associates Mash with regions in northern Mesopotamia, but there is no definitive evidence for these identifications. Standard translations leave the name largely untranslated, reflecting both its status as a proper noun and the uncertainty about its referent. The term does not carry religious, legal, or theological meaning in the Hebrew Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign derivation; Mash, a son of Aram, and the people descended from him; Mash.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
משׁ (uncertain/foreign) (m-š (uncertain)) — proper name, ethnonym (uncertain origin)
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4851-01 |
וָ/מַֽשׁ | vamash | HC/Np |
and Mash | and Mash | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4851-01 |
Genesis 10:23 | וָ/מַֽשׁ | vamash | HC/Np |
and Mash | and Mash |